Federer 'saves best for last' to beat Nadal for Shanghai title

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Roger Federer got one over his old rival, Rafael Nadal, to win the Shanghai Masters 6-4, 6-3 yesterday in a showdown between the two best players on the planet.

It was the 94th title for the Swiss legend, drawing him level with the great Ivan Lendl, and was a fifth victory in a row against world number one Nadal.

Nadal was ahead in their overall record down the years, with 23 wins to Federer’s 14, but he was up against it almost right away.

Number two Federer put Nadal under the cosh immediately on the Spaniard’s serve, breaking him in the first game - to roars of approval from the majority inside the arena.

Another break to 36-year-old Federer in the pivotal fifth game of the second set put him in reach of a second Shanghai Masters crown - and a sixth title in 2017.

“We didn’t think maybe we were going to have the year we did, I definitely didn’t,” Federer said on court afterwards, looking at Nadal, reflecting on their continued success even at this late stage of their careers.